Support for mail boxes



March 31. 1925. 1,531,677

W. J. MILLER SUPPORT FOR MAIL BOXES File'd Feb. 26, 1924 cured in the ground.

Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

Fries.

WILLIAM a'. Mitten,

OF DELAVARE, OHIO'.

SUPPORT FOR MAIL BOXES.

Application filed February 26, 1324.

To all 107mm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, `WILL1AM J. MrLLER, a citizen ot the United States, ifs-)siding at Delaware, in the county ot Delaware and State or" Ohio, have invented certain new and usetul Improvements in Supports tor Mail Boxes, ot which the following is a specification.

rl`his invention relates to supports for mail boxes used on rural routes; and it consists in the novel construction and combination oit'V the parts hereinafter fully described and claimed which enable the mail carrier to draw the mail box, from any direction, towards him and the mail cart which he usually drives along the roadway, and push back the box to its former position after having deposited the mail matter in it.

ln the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view ot a support for a mail box, constructed accordingg` to this invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view oi the same. Fig. 8 is an end view of the support.

A vertical upright 6 is provided, and is mounted to revolve in a tube 7 which is se- An anchor plate 5 is secured on the tube 7 and is sunk into the ground, l it the tube may be dispensed with it' desired, and the upright may be secured in a hole in the ground. A. crosshead 9 is secured to the top of the upright 6, and 10 is a pair oit supporting arins which project laterally from the crosshead on one side ot the upright. lllhen the tube 7 is not used the crosshead may be revoluble upon the upright. A pair of inner links 12 is pivoted by pins 14 to the ends of the crosshead, and a pair of outer links 15 is pivoted by pins 16 to the tree end portions ot the inner links.

rDie mail box 18 is a rectangular box ot any approved construction, having a door 19 at one end provided with any suitable lock or tastenings. The mail box is pivoted to the tree end portions of the outer links 15 by pins 2O arranged at its other end portion from the door 19.

. The mail box also preferably has a Hange 21 which projects outwardly from its end around the door, and operates to shed the rain so that it cannot get into the box around the door when the mail box is in its `normal position as shown in full lines in Fig. 1. The mail box also has a projection 22 on one side which bears on the upright when the mail box is in its normal position, and

Serial No. 695,193.

holds the mail box vertical withthe door downward. This projection is also adapted to engage with a. projection on vthe inail cart, and hold the mail box steady, when it is drawn towards the cart and supported in a horizontal posi-tion, as shown in dotted 1, this distance piece rests on the arms 10 l so that the links 12 are supported in an upwardly inclined position. Rollers 26 are provided at the end portions of the arms 10, and project laterally of them, and are arranged one at each inner side.

These projections or rollers 26 support the outer links 15 in a nearly horizontal position when the box is drawn out as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, so that the outer links are held at an angle to the inner links. Lugs 28 are formed opposite the inner end portions of the arms 10, and project laterally ot the crosshead, on the other side ot the upright 6 from the arms. A pin 29 is secured crosswise between these lugs. A flat f spring 31 has its upper end portion secured pivotally to the outer links 15 by a bolt 30, and its lower end portion extends between the Vcrosspiece or distance piece 25 and the pin 29. This spring is arranged between the links as seen in the plan view, and it is adjusted in strength so as to operate as av buffer spring; and let the outer links tall lightly onto the supporting arms when the mail box is pulled out, and to assist in the return movement of the mail box.

The driver of the mail cart stops at any convenient distance from the support, and is provided with a hook of suitable length. He hooks the mail box with the hook, and draws it towards him so that it assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, and rests on any convenient part of the mail cart or on a shelf attached thereto. After depositing the mail matter in the box he returns the box to its original posit-ion as shown in full lines. This support enables the mail to be deposited without requiring the carrier to descend from the cart, and without requiring that the mail cart be driven into any exact position with reference to the mail box, or requiring the mail box to be arranged inconreniently near the road.

That I clai-in is:

l. An upright, a crosshead pivoted on Ya Vertical axis at the top of the upright and provided With a pair of laterally projecting arinsinner and outer links pivoted together and arranged in pairs, the inner links being pivoted to the said crosshead, and a Inail box pivoted to the outer links and supported by the said arnis when the links are not extended.

2. A stationary supporting tube, a vertical upright revoluble in the tube, a cresshead secured to the top oi' the upright and provided with a pair of laterally projecting arins, inner and outer links pivoted together and arranged in pairs, the inner linksbeing pivoted to the said crossliead, and a inail box pivoted to the outer links and. supported by fthe said arnis When the links are not extended. j j

3. An upright, a crosshead pivoted on a vertical axis at the top of the upright and Vprovided with a pair of laterally projecting arms having projections on their inner sides, inner and outer links pivoted together and arranged in pairs, the inner links being pivoted to the said crosshead and adapted to rest on the said projections when the links are extended, and a Inail box pivoted to the outer links and supported by the said arms when the links are not extended.

4. in upright, a crosshead pivoted on a Vertical axis at the top of the upright and provided with a pair or laterally projecting arlns, inner and outer links pivoted together and arranged in pairs, the inner links being Y pivoted to the said crosshead, lugs which project opposite the inner ends of the said arins and Which have a pin secured between thein, a crosspiece secured between the tWo inner links, a fiat spring pivotedto and between the two outer links and extending over the said crosspiece and under the said pin and operating as a briller spring when tbe links are extended, and a inail box pivcted to the outer links and supported by the said arins when the links are not extended.

5. An upright, a crossliead pivoted on a vertical axis at thetop of the upright and provided With a pair et laterally projecting arnis, inner and outer links pivoted together and arranges. in pairs, the inner links being pivoted to the said crosshead, a bnier spring which receives the Weight ott the outer links when the links are extended, and a inail box pivot-ed to the outer linxs and supported by the said arms when the links are not extended. y

ln testimony whereof l have atixed my si gnature.

Viifntnnni/i J. MILLER. 

